Assassin of the Great Forest
by Surviving Devil
Summary: this is a story that my cousin wrote. He refused to make an account for one story. This is about a group of four hunters on there first hunt of the Nargacuga


**-The Assassin of the Great Forest-**

I opened my eyes with deep sigh. The sound of chirping birds fluttered through the air, emanating from a tree beyond my window. I looked over, rubbing my eyes to see a single bird perched atop the windowsill, and about a dozen more resting along the branches. The small creatures carried about their days without a care in the world. In a way, I envyed them. In another way, I pitied them.

I yawned, stretching widely before shuffling my legs to the side of the bed, and getting up to greet the day. Today was the day, I remembered. It was the day the four of us had planned for a hunt. But, unlike most days, it was more than just that. This time, we were hunting something we had never hunted before. This time, we were going in blind.

The entire time I was was putting on my armor, ideas and customaries filled my head. If we were going to fight a monster that we knew little about, we had to take precautions. I gathered a healthy supply of potions, and one of the most neccessary things a Blademaster would carry: whetstones. I slid into my greaves and fastened my tasset, looking into the mirror as I slipped my helmet on. I donned full armor made from the Ceanataur, a carpaceon creature of great power and speed - a deadly combination. It shined a bright blue and appeared rather intimidating due to its sharp edges and jagged shoulders. Looking at my image I was reminded of the time spent hunting the creature. It was a learning experience, and it was a challenging one. At my hip was the Blazing Falchion, a sword with the element of fire. I favored the sword and the shield, as it was the most agile of the blademaster weapons made in town.

With a determined push, I swung open the door to my home. A rush of cool air flooded in almost immediately, thanks to the chilling climate of the outside. The townsfolk were busy with their daily chores, some discussing the news of the day, others readying shop and stocking shelves. The hustle and bustle of their activity filled my ears, and a humbe smile came to my face. I looked out over Pokke Village, the only town I'd ever known, and where my journey as a Monster Hunter had begun.

Pokke Village was a town of the most quaint nature. It was nestle out of the way of most towns, in the mountains, frigid peaks and snowy caps visible in the distance. I began my usual walk to the Guild, taking in the pleasant scenery. I passed by the weaponsdealer; he lifted a friendly hand to wave.

"Good luck out there, Deiga." he said positively. I knodded and waved back kindly, and was suddenly flooded with the nostalgic feeling that I felt when I had first started hunting. It was the anxiety of the hunt - the romanticism of the profession.

The Guild stood only a short walk from my home, and in no time, I stood before its door. I emerged in the gathering hall to a familiar sight. The dark colors of the room were somehow brought to life my the flames set up round the room, save for the large fireplace at the back. A small shopping stall was set up next to it, the usual woman waiting for potential customers. It all created a warm and inviting atmosphere. Of course, I wasn't the only one here. Leaning on the counter was an old friend of mine, and probably my best friend. It was Zoth, a fellow hunter, and it seemed as if he had been waiting here for a while.

A grin emerged across his face, and he held his hands out to his sides.

"Where were you? I've been here for half an hour!" he exclaimed. He wore a greenish set of armor made from the Rathian, a beast known as the Queen of the Earth. It wasn't as dangerous as its male counterpart, the Rathalos, but it was still no creature to underestimate. Along his back was the long sword known as Wyvern Blade Leaf, which was also made from the Rathian. Appropriately, it had the ability to poison that which was cut with it, and it was no doubt a useful element of our arsenal.

"It's eight o'clock. We agreed to meet at that time, Zoth." I responded. He laughed at me as I spoke.

"Well, I think it helps to be early. Honestly, I expected you to get here before me. You're the one who always takes these things so seriously."

"Hey, someone has to! If not for me you'd never stand a chance against the Rathian." I said with a laugh. I then looked around, suprised that a certain someone was missing.

"Where's Rowan? He's usally with you."

"Don't say it like that, it's not even true. You know I can't spend too much time alone with someone that grumpy." He then pointed over his shoulder at the door towards the back of the room.

"He's off gathering materials alone. I offered to go with him, but he said, 'Come if you want, but you're not neccessay.' I mean really, who says things like that? He acts like he doesn't need any help, and we all know that's not true."

"He cares, Zoth. He wouldn't stick around if he didn't, right? Besides, another ranged user is perfect for our team. We're a lot more versatile that way."

"Yeah, you're right..." He shook his head and proceeded to move over to the table in the center of the room. He sat himself down, in a relaxed fashion.

"Let me know when we're all ready, yeah?" He said.

I walked closer the counter, greeting one of the women standing behind it.

"I was told we have an urgent quest..." I started. She shook her head yes, reaching below the counter and taking a stack of papers.

"Of course... it's right here." She put them on the counter and took a few out and handed them to me. I took them with an appreciative nod and began to look over it. Among the customary things I usually found in these requests, the name of the monster we were to slay caught my eye.

"The Nargacuga..." I said, thinking.

"Yes. It's become something of a menace." the lady said.

"What can you tell us about it?"

"Not much is known... It's a creature that favors the dark. I suppose that's why it dwells in the Great Forest. Sightings are rather rare though, and most people who have gone out to slay it don't even return. But we wouldn't ask you to do this if we didn't think you were ready." she said reasuringly.

"Right. We'll do what we can." I said, putting the papers away, and getting my mind set up for the ordeal we would no doubt face.

"Deiga... Be careful. The Nargacuga is unlike other wyverns. I know you've slain the Tigrex, and that was a feat. But this creature is worse."

"Thanks, and don't worry. I don't plan on dying today." I turned, with the intent of joining Zoth at the table, but I was interrupted by the sight of someone coming in through the gathering hall exit. Standing in the light of the door was Rowan, the light bowgun user of our team. His weapon, the Titan Launcher+, was strapped to his back. His armor was probably the most recognizable of us all... Kirin armor. Atop his helmet was the signature horn of the beast.

Rowan sighed and walked over to me with a slight glare on his face.

"Hm. As usual, one of us isn't on time." he mumbled. He wasn't refering to me, but to the last member of our team, and the only one who hadn't arrived yet.

"It's not that big of a deal." I replied.

"You say that now, but even you can't ignore the mistakes he makes. As a ranged user, he lack probably the most important skill: accuracy."

"Even we were inexperienced at one point. He's still learning, and you need to cut him some slack."

"Yeah, what he said!" added Zoth, chiming in. I looked over to see him being rather unconservative with a cup of ale. I laughed and scratched the back of my head.

"There's no way that stuff helps you hunt." I critisized jokingly. He pretended not to hear me, continuing to chug the stuff. I moved over and sat down to his left.

"Fine." Rowan said, kneeling down beside the chest next to the exit. "I'll back off, but if he doesn't shape up soon, we're all going to pay for it." He started to put his collected things into the chest and take things out. Above all other things, Rowan valued skill and preparedness.

It was another ten minutes before we saw the last member of our hunting team come rushing in through the door, placing a hand on the side of it to hunch over and breath heavily.

It was Freeman, the most recent addition to our team. We only knew him by his last name, and he didn't seem to eager to share the first with us, strangely.

Freeman was the definition of a greenhorn. He was exceptionally determined to prove himself to us, but he lacked neccessary experience. We had him join because we felt we could teach him, but he wasn't as quick on the uptake was we'd hoped. Still, he was improving. He wore Plesioth armor, made from a wyvern that favored the water. I remembered fighting the creature vividly. It was one of our first truly challenging battles, but luckily for Freeman, it was the perfect monster for him to hunt. Bowgun and Bow users had an advantage over the creature, since they could keep their distance and avoid its close-range moves. It wasn't so adept at attacking foes from afar.

"Sorry! Sorry I'm late... I lost track of time." he said, embarassed.

"Hey, don't worry about it. C'mon, we're almost ready." I stated, waving him over. He trotted over to his seat and planted himself looking at us with apologetic eyes.

There the four of us sat there, getting ready to head out for the hunt. Each of use had a role to play. I was sort of considered the unofficial leader of our team, so my job was to provide tactics and keep an eye on how everyone was doing. Zoth was our heavy-hitter. He was always on the front lines, in the thick of battle. Being the two melee fighter, it was he and I's duty to keep the monster's focus away from Rowan and Freeman. They were Gunners, so they weren't able to use equipment that was as protective as that of a Blademasters.

Fully prepared, we headed out the exit of the gathering hall, on our way to the Great Forest. It was our first quest out in that area, so I was looking forward to seeing what it was like. Along the way the four of us partook in the pointless banter that was expected among friends. Chatting helped aliviate the boredom that came with the long hike our destination.

The Great Forest just as I imagined. Green as far as the eye could see, huge trees and strange flora grew all around its paths. I found myself staring up at the canopy. Some of these trees were over four storys tall.

"Hey, Rowan..." Freeman started as we were all setting up camp.

"What is it." he replied bluntly, more in the form of a statement than a question.

"You should load up Flaming Shots before we head out."

"What? Why?"

"I heard that fire is really effective against Nargacuga. At least, I heard a few other hunters talking about it."

"Huh. We'll see." Rowan replied, doing as was suggested.

"Wow... if that's true, then I think we've got an advantage." I said.

"Huh?" Freeman questioned.

"My sword's element is fire. Rowan's got Flaming Shots, and even your bow has the element, if I'm not mistaken." I explained.

"Oh, yeah..." he said, looking at his bow. It was the Kut-Ku Stave III, made from the monster of the same name.

"Then we're as ready as we could be, especially if I can manage the poison it." Zoth commented.

"Alright. Let's head out. Be on your guard, guys." We moved away from camp, heading towards the thickest part of the forest.

We could hear the chirps and sounds of many fauna above us. I looked over to the side of the path to see a group of Kelbi, grazing between the trees.

Zoth stepped on a twig and it snapped, evoking the attention of the creatures. Noticing us, they quickly bound away into the trees.

"Ah... I hope the Nargacuga isn't as easily scared off." he said.

"If anything, it'll probably come after _us_..." Freeman mumbled, seeming uneasy.

We continued walking, deeper into the maze of trees and vines. But after a while of wandering about, we were growing impatient. I finaly took a bottle out, a brew called Psychoserum.

"This is getting ridiculous... I'll find it with this." I took a deep swig of the orange-ish liquid, throwing the empty bottle to the ground. Moments later, my senses began to feel strange. Every sound, every smell, and everything I saw was more vibrant. but something else had caught my attention. Supernaturally, I feel the presense of our target. It was like that of a Tigrex, but different... I couldn't put the finger on it.

"It's this way." I said, begining to walk eastward. The other three followed, reassured to know that we'd soon find our mark.

We ended up in a part of the forest the was more open then the rest. we stood at one end of the area, looking over to the other side. All we could see were the thick trees and another group of Kelbi.

"Strange... It's here. I know it."

"I don't get it. All I see are Kelbi, Deiga." Zoth said. We looked around, confused that the Psychoserum had mislead us. But then I heard a sound.

"Wait.' I said, reaching a hand out to demand everyone be still.

"...What?" Rowan asked in an annoyed voice. I looked into the trees before us, at the other side of the clearing. I could see eyes. Glowing, red, vibrant eyes, within the darkness of the brush. My heart began to beat faster than normal.

"There." I whispered, kneeling down, pointing to the trees. But those glowing eyes weren't fixed on us. Whatever it way, it was focused on the Kelbi.

Suddenly, the grazing creatures lifted their heads, looking into the abyss of the trees. There was a pause, then in a thunderous rustle, the beast leaped out.

The Kelbi immediately took to running, turning and bolting off in many directions. One, however, was too slow. Like lightning, the beast leapt and pinned the herbivore by the neck. The Kelbi let out a shrill cry of terror before the creature bit down hard and rended it's flesh. It then growled softly, standing over its prey triumphantly.

I looked over the beast in terrer. It was clad in fur of a jet-black color, and much larger than any of us hunters. It had wings that folded along it's arms, so it could no doubt fly. It's mouth was sort of a beak, but it also had long rows of sharp teeth. Its eyes were red, along with a streak of fur going up and along its ears. The beast looked around to see that the rest of the Kelbi had fled. And then, slowly, it turned to us.

This was the Nargacuga. I stood there, unsure what to do, but hand instictively reaching to the handle of my sword. Nargacuga growled quietly in our direction. Then it charged.

"Move!" I called out, jumping to the left with all my strength. I had evaded just in time to avoid the beast, thankfully. I quickly got up and turned to see what had become of my fellow hunters. Zoth had managed to get out of the way, and was standing across from me. It looked like Freeman was unscathed too. Rowan, though, wasn't so lucky. It had managed to slash him across the chest, and he was struggling to get to his feet. The Nargacuga, due to its charge was now yards away from us, growling argrily in the distance. I ran over Rowan as fast as I could.

"Are you alright?" I exclaimed.

"I... ugh... I'm okay..." he said, breathing heavily. "It's just a scratch." As far as I could tell, he was bleeding, but it wasn't serious.

"Stay behind me. Freeman, you too!" I said, looking over at the beast, who was now eyeing us down. I drew my blade and readied myself. But before I had a chance to move, I saw Zoth run by me.

"Ahhhrrrrhh!" he cried, his long blade at his side. He ran straight at the beast, and with a swishing sound, he attacked. But the Nargacuge deftly dodge to the side, just out of his reach. I saw my chance. I leapt from my position and managed to slice into the creature. I threw a flurry of sword strikes as fast as I could before rolling to the side, just in the time dodge a slash of its claws. The beast growled and jumped back in annoyance. I stood, ready for another attack, when I saw something strike Nargacuga in the head. It hit and burst into a small ball of flame - Rowan had begun firing. Nargacuga reeled back with a screech at the shot. It seemed Freeman's information was good.

"Right!" Freeman called, and readied his own weapon. I saw a barrage of arrows fly out from behind me and strike the creature, each stabbing into it. The Nargacuga screeched madly, anger begining to built within it. I tried to strike it again, but as my sword came down it missed, and the beast went charging off behind me. I turned to see that it was targeting Rowan.

He quickly looked up to see the creature closing in on him. However, he was helpless, as he was in the middle of reloading his gun.

"Rowan!" I called out, running off to him, although knowing I'd never make it. With roar, it threw its neck out, in an attempt to bite down on Rowan, and finish the work it had started. But it somehow flinched suddenly, and proceeded to jump away from the helpless hunter.

"Huh?" I said, relieved but confused. I then saw a long arrow embedded in Nargacuga's head, and the beast crying out in pain. Behind Rowan stood Freeman, still posed after the shot he had taken.

Nargacuga swatted at the arrow with it's mighty claw, breaking it off with a loud snap. It growled at us before jumping up, into the canopy, and vanishing from our sight.

I gave a sigh of relieve and ran over to Rowan and Freeman, Zoth following after me.

"Here..." Freeman said, reaching out a hand to Rowan, who was now on the ground, rather paralyzed with fear.

"I..." Rowan stammered, lost for words at was had just happened. He hesitantly took the offered hand, and was pulled to his feet.

"I... Thanks." He said, though without looking at the one how may have had saved his life.

"Just trying to help." Freeman said happily.

"This isn't working." Zoth groaned while whiping his brow. "We're gonna need a plan."

"One things for sure," I started, looking up at the canopy,"This things forte is speed. If we want to beat it, we can't hesitate."

"I feel like there's not much I can do... My weapon's the slowest of us all." Zoth said sadly.

"I don't think that'll be a problem." I said, as everyone huddled around me. "Here's what we'll do..."

We were able to track down the Nargacuga again, and were in place, ready to spring our plan. Zoth and I were together, hidden to the side, while Freeman and Rowan were in position further away from us. The beast was walking along the path towards us, but it didn't know we were there. I looked further down the path to Rowan. When I heard Nargacuga get close, I gave the cue. Rowa and Freeman unleashed an array of shots and arrows, in an attempt to get Nargacugas. It quickly noticed.

It began to rush towards them as I expected.

"Now!" I said, and Zoth slash his blade out, perpendicular to the path. It was timed perfectly - he sliced into the Nargacuga with the powerful swing, and it was knocked of its feet, falling to the ground. While our Gunners continued their attack, Zoth and I hacked away with all our might. The beast screeched and flailed below the onslaught of blows. Still, it managed to slash and knock me and Zoth down, although without injuring us. It quickly took the opportunity to break away from us, leaping whole yards away. At this point, Nargacuga was frustrated and enraged. It's eyes seemed to glow so brightly that they left a redish trail as its head moved, now bearing a most evil glare.

"Guys! Focus on evasion!" I called, sheathing my weapon and running off to the side of the are. The beast was now after me, and it was even faster than before. At the rate I was running, I knew I wouldn't be able to get away. It jumped with a mighty claw towards me, and in a last effort to defend my self, I put up my shield.

It wasn't enough. With a force unlike anything I'd felt before, It struck the metal shield and continued on through, slashing my lower left side. As a result, I was sent flying, and landed feet away, on my front.

"Ngh..." I groaned, trying as fast as I could to get to my feet.

"Deiga!" Zoth exclaimed, although separated from me by the Nargacuga.

I stood up, breathing painfully, and clutching my side. It was a serious wound - there was blood down my abdomen and arm.

I looked weakly to Nargacuga, who was now staring me down, savage as ever.

"No!" Zoth said, slashing at the foe from behind. To my relief, he drew its attention towards himself, giving a chance to recooperate. I saw our Gunners come running in, lending their own support as well. While they fought the monster, I struggled with the searing pain in my side. Amidst the conflict, I could see Nargacuga growing weaker. I could tell it was growing weak.

I began to move away from the fight in an attempt to heal my wound. But to my dismay, Nargacuga came rushing at me again.

At this point, there was nothing I could do. In my state, evasion wasn't an option, and my shield had already failed me once. In a last attempt to repel the beast, I slashed with my sword, just before Nargacuga came into contact with me.

My sword came down across its head. It cried savagely and backed up, letting out a series of pained sounds. I watched as it fell to the ground, writhing from the attack. The beast let out weak and pathetic cry, then perished. I stood before it, overwhelmed with both awe and adrenaline. The fight was over. The Nargacuga was slain.


End file.
